Material marking apparatus

ABSTRACT

A marking liquid is stored in an air pressurized reservoir for delivery to a normally closed, pneumatically actuated marking valve which, when momentarily opened, sprays a jet of the liquid on material to be marked, such as a running web of indeterminate length. Compressed air is also delivered to a normally closed solenoid valve which opens at selected intervals in response to actuation by a material counter. Opening of the solenoid valve delivers compressed air to the marking valve, opening the latter and causing a jet of the marking liquid to be sprayed on the material. Preferably, the marking liquid has fluorescent characteristics and is visible only under black light.

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[451 Feb. 11, 1975 1 MATERIAL MARKING APPARATUS 221 Filed: Aug. 31, 1973 211 App]. No.: 393,609

[52] US. Cl 113/8, 118/2, 118/300, 118/324 [51] Int. Cl. B056 5/00, BOSC 11/00 [58] Field of Search 118/8, 7, 2, 300, 324

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,114,723 4/1938 Paasche 118/2 3,590,778 7/1971 Mozzi, Jr. 118/8 3,730,133 5/1973 Cordiano et al. 118/2 3,742,899 7/1973 Alperin et a1 118/2 3,749,051 7/1973 Sumner et a1 118/7 FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 42-22952 8/1967 Japan 118/7 Primary Examiner.lames Kee Chi Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Larson, Taylor & Hinds [57] ABSTRACT A marking liquid is stored in an air pressurized reservoir for delivery to a normally closed, pneumatically actuated marking valve which, when momentarily opened, sprays a jet of the liquid on material to be marked, such as a running web of indeterminate length. Compressed air is also delivered to a normally closed solenoid valve which opens at selected intervals in response to actuation by a material counter. Opening of the solenoid valve delivers compressed air to the marking valve, opening the latter and causing a jet of the marking liquid to be sprayed on the material. Preferably, the marking liquid has fluorescent characteristics and is visible only under black light.

4 Claims, 2 Drawing Figures MATERIAL MARKING APPARATUS This invention relates to new and useful improvements in material marking apparatus, and in particular the invention concerns itself with apparatus for marking a running web of indeterminate length at selected intervals. Although the invention may be employed in many different environments, it is especially useful in marking a running web of paper towels to indicate stretches of the web containing, say 100 or 200 towels each.

One conventional method of such marking utilizes visible ink which detracts from the appearance of the towel. Another conventional method involves slashing or cutting of the web and this, of course, damages the towel. Still another conventional method actually destroys one towel at the marking point, thus making it useless and causing annoyance to the purchaser.

The principal object of the invention is to eliminate the above outlined disadvantages of conventional marking procedures, this being attained by providing a marking apparatus which employs a normally invisible marking liquid for marking the running web at selected intervals, the liquid having flourescent characteristics so that the markings may be visible under black light.

The marking apparatus of the invention is simple in construction, efficient and dependable in operation, and lends itself to economical manufacture.

With the foregoing more important object and features in view and such other objects and features which may become apparent as this specification proceeds, the invention will be understood from the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which like characters of reference designate like parts, and in which:

FIG. 1 is an elevational view of the marking apparatus of the invention; and

FIG. 2 is a sectional view, taken substantially in the plane of the line 22 in FIG. 1.

Referring now to the accompanying drawings in detail, the material marking apparatus of the invention is designated generally by the reference numeral and embodies in its construction a suitable housing or cabinet 12 which preferably has a transparent front or cover so. that the contents thereof are readily visible.

The housing 12 accommodates a reservoir 13 for a suitable marking liquid, the reservoir being closed by an air-tight cover 13a. A filler pipe 14, equipped with a removable cap 15, extends from the cover 13a of the reservoir through the top wall of the housing 12 so that the reservoir may be filled with marking liquid when necessary.

A compressed air line 16 extends into the housing 12 from a suitable compressed air supply 17. The line or conduit 16 is branched by a Tee 18 to communicate with a pair of air pressure regulators 19, 20 inside the housing. Beyond the regulator 19, the air line branch 16a extends to a fitting 20 on the reservoir cover 13a so as to maintain the marking liquid in the reservoir 13 under pressure set by the regulator 19. A marking liquid delivery conduit 21 extends from a fitting 22 on the lower portion of the reservoir 13, the conduit 21 ex tending outside of the housing 12 and eventually communicating with a marking valve assembly 23, as hereinafter described.

Beyond the regulator 20, the air line branch 1612 extends to a solenoid-actuated air valve 24 which is also disposed inside the housing 12. The valve 24 is normally closed, but when it is opened, air flows from the line branch 16b through the valve and into an air delivery conduit 25 which, like the conduit 21, also extends outside ofthe housing 12 and eventually communicates with the marking valve assembly 23.

A cable 26 extends from the solenoid of the air valve 24 to a junction block 27 inside the housing, and another cable 28 extends from the junction block to the outside of the housing where it is in circuit with an electrical impulse producing switch of a mechanical counter (not shown). The counter measures the running length of the web and produces an electrical impulse at selected intervals in order to open the air valve 24 momentarily, say at the end of each stretch of the web containing I00 or 200 towels.

The marking valve assembly 23 is disposed remotely from the housing 12 at some location where it may conveniently spray a jet of the marking liquid upon the web, the latter being indicated at 29 in FIG. 2.

As shown, the marking valve assembly 23 includes a pneumatic actuator 30 having a screw-threaded portion secured by suitable nuts 31 on a supporting bracket 32 which in turn is fastened as at 33 to a suitable supporting structure 34. To facilitate some movement and adjustment of the location of the housing 12 with respect to the structure 34,. the aforementioned liquid delivery conduit 21 and air delivery conduit 25 preferably are in the form of flexible tubing. However, near the structure 34, these conduits are connected by unions 35, 36, respectively to rigid metallic tubes 37, 38, respectively. The two tubes 37, 38 are fastened by suitable clamps 39 to the opposite sides of a supporting strap 40 which is secured to the aforementioned bracket 32 as at 41.

A connecting line 42 extends from the air delivery tube 38 to the pneumatic actuator 30 of the marking valve assembly 23. Similarly, a connecting line 43 extends from the liquid delivery tube 37 to a liquid flow control valve 44 carried by the actuator 30, the valve 44 having an adjusting or flow regulating screw 45. The marking valve assembly 23 is normally closed, but when air under pressure isadmitted through the lines 25, 38, 42 to the pneumatic actuator 30, the valve becomes opened and the marking liquid under pressure delivered through the lines 21, 37, 43 and through the control valve 44 is discharged onto the web 29 in the form of a jet, as indicated at 46.

In operation, the reservoir 13 is filled with the marking liquid, the solenoid air valve 24 and the marking valve assembly 23 being normally closed. The regulators 19, 20 are adjusted so that the air in the reservoir 13 is at a somewhat lower pressure than that passing to the air valve 24. When the mechanical counter (not shown) which engages the running web 29 measures of predetermined stretch or length of the web, such as may contain or 200 towels, for example, the counter switch sends an electrical. impulse through the cables 28, 26 so as to momentarily open the solenoid air valve 24. This permits air to fllow through the lines 25, 38, 42 to the pneumatic actuator 30 of the marking valve assembly 23, thus momentarily opening the valve 23 and causing ajet of the marking liquid to be sprayed onto the web 29, as indicated at 46, thus marking the web at that particular location. After that the valves 24 and 23 become closed again and so remain until the end of the next stretch of the web has been reached for the next marking operation.

It is to be particularly noted that the marking liquid which is used is normally invisible but possesses the fluorescent characteristics so that the markings on the web may be visible under black light.

The ends of the tubes 37, 38 are closed by end caps 47 and the apparatus may be used with only one marking valve assembly 23 as shown. However, if desired, the tubes 37, 38 may be extended further, and one or more additional valve assemblies such as the assembly 23 may be connected to the tubes at longitudinally spaced points along the tubes, so as to simultaneously mark the web at two or more transversely spaced points.

While in the foregoing there has been described and shown the preferred embodiment of the invention, various modifications and equivalents may be restored to within the spirit and scope of the invention as claimed.

What is claimed as new is:

1. In a counter-actuated apparatus for marking materials at predetermined intervals, the combination of a reservoir for a marking liquid, a normally closed jet type liquid marking valve located at a marking station remote from said reservoir, liquid conduit means connecting said reservoir to said marking valve, a pneumatically operated actuator for opening said liquid marking valve, a normally closed solenoid air valve located adjacent said reservoir, material counter responsive means for momentarily opening said air valve at predetermined intervals, a compressed air supply connected to said reservoir for pressurizing the liquid therein and in said liquid conduit means, said air supply also being connected to said air valve, and air conduit means connecting said air valve to said pneumatically operated actuator for said marking valve whereby the latter may be momentarily opened as a function of opening of said air valve so that the marking valve may spray a marking jet of liquid on the material to be marked.

2. The apparatus as defined in claim 1 which is further characterized in that the marking liquid is normally invisible but is fluorescent for visibility under black light.

3. The apparatus as defined in claim 1 wherein said compressed air supply is branched and includes one branch communicating with said reservoir and another branch communcating with said air valve, together with an air pressure regulator provided in each of said branches, said regulators maintaining a relatively lower pressure in said reservoir and a relatively higher pressure in said another branch.

4. The apparatus as defined in claim 3 together with a housing containing said reservoir and said air valve and said pressure regulators, said marking valve and said pneumatically operated actuator being disposed exteriorly of and remotely from said housing. 

1. In a counter-actuated apparatus for marking materials at predetermined intervals, the combination of a reservoir for a marking liquid, a normally closed jet type liquid marking valve located at a marking station remote from said reservoir, liquid conduit means connecting said reservoir to said marking valve, a pneumatically operated actuator for opening said liquid marking valve, a normally closed solenoid air valve located adjacent said reservoir, material counter responsive means for momentarily opening said air valve at predetermined intervals, a compressed air supply connected to said reservoir for pressurizing the liquid therein and in said liquid conduit means, said air supply also being connected to said air valve, and air conduit means connecting said air valve to said pneumatically operated actuator for said marking valve whereby the latter may be momentarily opened as a function of opening of said air valve so that the marking valve may spray a marking jet of liquid on the material to be marked.
 2. The apparatus as defined in claim 1 which is further characterized in that the marking liquid is normally invisible but is fluorescent for visibility under black light.
 3. The apparatus as defined in claim 1 wherein said compressed air supply is branched and includes one branch communicating with said reservoir and another branch communcating with said air valve, together with an air pressure regulator provided in each of said branches, said regulators maintaining a relatively lower pressure in said reservoir and a relatively higher pressure in said another branch.
 4. The apparatus as defined in claim 3 together with a housing containing said reservoir and said air valve and said pressure regulators, said marking valve and said pneumatically operated actuator being disposed exteriorly of and remotely from said housing. 